The Presidential Media Team, in collaboration with the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, on Thursday inspected key Federal Government and Benue State infrastructure projects, as residents commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for expanding connectivity through strategic road and bridge projects.
The inspection covered the ongoing Buruku-Logo Bridge, the Wurukum Overhead Bridge in Makurdi, the 22-kilometre Makurdi-Gboko Road, as well as major state government projects, including the completed High-Level Roundabout Interchange in Makurdi and the Gboko Underpass and Interchange.
The Makurdi-Gboko Road is part of Phase II of the Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Expressway, a strategic corridor linking North-Central Nigeria with the South-East. The project is expected to be completed by December 2027.
The inspection formed part of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors’ National Media Tour, which comprises more than 40 editors and journalists tasked with independently assessing, documenting and showcasing the implementation and impact of key Federal and State Government projects under the Tinubu administration.
The delegation was led by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Speaking during the inspection, Onanuga said the Buruku-Logo Bridge is one of five Federal Government bridges under construction in Benue State, demonstrating the administration’s commitment to investing borrowed funds in critical infrastructure.
He said the bridge would reconnect previously isolated communities, reduce travel time, improve farmers’ access to markets and strengthen economic integration across Benue, Taraba and Adamawa states.
According to him, the projects are being financed through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, with adequate funding already secured for their timely completion.
“You can now see where the money is going. It is to develop infrastructure, to link people who have been forgotten before and ensure commerce flows freely. Farmers can get their products to the market more quickly, while travel time between communities will be reduced,” Onanuga said.
The team also inspected the ongoing 25.6-kilometre Captain Dan Road from Lubona Junction to the Tor Tiv Palace, Food Basket Brewery Limited in Makurdi and the Federal Government-funded rehabilitation of the Buruku-Gboko Water Treatment Plant at Ameladu Headworks, one of Benue’s largest water infrastructure projects.
A major highlight of the tour was the inspection of the 1,754-metre Buruku-Logo Bridge, which links agrarian communities across the River Benue, provides access to neighbouring Taraba State and is expected to boost agriculture, commerce and regional integration. The contractor handling the project currently employs more than 50 workers from the host community.
Residents who spoke during the visit thanked President Tinubu for prioritising infrastructure that addresses longstanding transportation challenges.
They described the bridge as a life-saving intervention that would end years of risky river crossings, improve livelihoods, reduce the incidence of boat accidents during the rainy season and create employment opportunities for local youths engaged on the project.
Many of the residents also pledged continued support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, saying the visible impact of ongoing projects had renewed public confidence in the Federal Government.
Benue State Deputy Governor, Dr. Samuel Ode, also expressed appreciation for the Federal Government’s infrastructure investments, saying the people of the state would strongly support President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Ode described the ongoing Wurukum Overhead Bridge as a critical intervention on the Abuja-Lafia-Makurdi-Enugu corridor, noting that the junction had for years been notorious for severe traffic congestion, especially during festive periods.
He said President Tinubu approved the project following a request by Governor Hyacinth Alia and expressed satisfaction with the pace of construction.
The deputy governor also highlighted the state government’s Makurdi Central Interchange and Underpass project, describing it as a transformative development connecting Government House, the Central Business District, Wurukum and the Abuja-Enugu highway while significantly improving traffic flow within the state capital.
According to him, the overhead bridge will ease movement along one of Nigeria’s busiest transport corridors linking the northern and southern parts of the country.